By Emeka Chiaghanam
The best of Anambra West took
centre stage on Friday as the Anambra State Town Unions Council Youth Wing
(ASTUC Youth) celebrated 10 outstanding community members whose lives,
character and contributions continue to inspire others.
The colourful event, held at
the Nzam Community Town Hall,
brought together traditional and community leaders, youths, residents and other
stakeholders for a celebration of good character, responsible citizenship and
the importance of providing younger generations with worthy examples.
Tagged “Celebration of Our Community Shared Values and the Ten Community Role
Models from Anambra West LGA,” the programme went beyond the
presentation of awards. It provided a platform for the community to reflect on
the values that define its people and the responsibility of individuals to pass
those values on to the next generation.
The 10 honourees, representing
the 10 communities in Anambra West Local Government Area, were recognised for
their integrity, service and positive contributions to their communities.
The occasion also featured the
launch of a Value Orientation Campaign,
the 12 Core Values of Onye Anambra
Recitation Challenge and the introduction of POCACOV, alongside the launch of the “We Believe in Anambra” music album.
With music, entertainment and
refreshments adding colour to the gathering, the event combined celebration
with a deeper message about youth development, community responsibility and the
need to promote positive role models.
Okoli: Youths Have a Role in
Building Anambra’s Value System
Speaking at the event, ASTUC
Youth President-General, Comrade Ken
Okoli, said young people must see themselves as active participants in
shaping the future of Anambra State rather than simply waiting to inherit
leadership.
He said the ASTUC Youth
initiative was anchored on the fourth of the five pillars of the state government’s
development agenda, governance and
value system.
The other pillars, he said, are
security, law and order; economic
transformation; human capital development; and environment.
Okoli said ASTUC Youth was
particularly interested in the governance and value-system pillar because good
governance could not thrive without a people guided by sound values.
“You cannot govern a society
properly without a value system,” he said, commending Governor Chukwuma Soludo
for making governance and value system one of the five pillars of his
administration.
He explained that, as citizens
of Anambra State, youths had a responsibility to help define, promote and
preserve the values expected of the people of the state, especially its
identity as the Light of the Nation.
That thinking, he said, led to
the development of the 12 Core Values
of an Anambra Citizen, with the initiative drawing inspiration from the
governor's governance and value-system agenda.
But Okoli stressed that
identifying values was only the beginning.
From Values to People Young
Anambra Can Emulate
He said ASTUC Youth recognised
the need to put real faces and real stories behind the values by identifying individuals
whose lives could serve as examples to younger people.
This, he said, was why the
organisation began selecting community role models across Anambra State.
Okoli clarified that the
honourees were not personally selected by ASTUC Youth leadership.
Rather, youth leaders in each
community, working with their traditional rulers, were asked to identify people
whose integrity, achievements and contributions made them worthy of
recognition.
The initiative, he said, was also intended to complement the government's efforts to protect young people from harmful influences.
While government was using the
law to confront activities capable of destroying the future of youths, ASTUC
Youth, he said, was focusing on the other side of the equation, giving young
people positive examples to follow.
He announced that 21 outstanding role models would eventually
be selected from the local government areas across the state for a
special end-of-year recognition in 2026, where Governor Soludo is expected to
honour the best role models.
Okoli told the 10 Anambra West
honourees that their recognition came with greater responsibility.
“As role models, you have a
responsibility to make sure that our land is more developed than the way you
met it,” he said.
He urged them to continue
encouraging young people, sharing their experiences and demonstrating the
values for which they had been recognised.
‘You Are the Light — Let It
Shine’
Okoli described the Anambra
West programme as the seventh local
government area reached by the initiative, saying ASTUC Youth was
gradually building a statewide movement around shared values and responsible
citizenship.
He said the broader objective was to make youths active partners in the state's development and governance process.
“We are speaking with one
language of values, being the Light of the Nation,” he said.
He urged young people in
Anambra West to avoid actions that could undermine their future and instead
allow their character, work and achievements to speak for them.
“You are the Light of the
Nation. Let this light shine,” he told the youths.
“Be the light. Today, not
tomorrow. Look at those values we have shown you and be guided by those
values.”
Obiorah Praises Initiative,
Charges Honourees to Lead by Example
The Chairman of the occasion, High Chief Chukwudi Daniel Obiorah (Onwa
N’Etiora Nnam), a Star Role
Model of Anambra West 2025, represented by Engineer Okwudili Nwadiogbu, described the initiative as a timely
platform for celebrating good character, community service and positive
leadership.
He commended ASTUC Youth for
recognising people making meaningful contributions to their communities and
urged the honourees to remain worthy examples to younger generations.
Obiorah also encouraged Anambra
West youths to embrace hard work, integrity, discipline and responsible living,
while using their education, talents and energy to contribute to the
development of their communities and the state.
Anekwe: Let Your Values Speak
for You
One of the honourees, Engr. Sir Edwin Anekwe of Umueze Anam
community, said role models were important because young people needed
guidance and people whose lives they could study and emulate.
He encouraged youths to take
their chosen pursuits seriously, constantly learn from those ahead of them and
strive for excellence.
“Nothing beats a good value
system. Whatever you are into, be good at it and let your values speak for
you,” Anekwe said, reminding the youths that they represent the future of the
state.
Okonkwo Thanks ASTUC Leadership
The host and ASTUC Youth Leader
in Anambra West, Comrade Innocent
Chukwudi Okonkwo, expressed appreciation to Comrade Ken Okoli-led ASTUC
Youth for what he described as a transformation and renewed focus on
leadership, values and youth development.
He said the recognition had
provided an important platform for celebrating people whose contributions were
making a difference in their communities.
Okonkwo urged the honourees to
remain worthy examples, while encouraging youths in Anambra West to embrace
discipline, integrity and hard work.
He also advised them to reject
social vices, develop their talents and use their abilities to create
opportunities and contribute positively to their communities.
The gathering ended on a
hopeful note, with the message that building the Anambra of tomorrow would
require more than government policies. It would also depend on citizens,
particularly young people, who are willing to live by strong values and make
their communities better than they found them.
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